Shaisen
The Shaisen are an oxygen-breathing spacefaring species originating on Hansha, the fourth planet of the Leirenau system. They are occasionally referred to as fuzzy dragonflies, both due to their physical appearance and their somewhat asocial, individualistic tendencies. They are the primary constituent species of the Risenya Confederation, the governing political body of the Leirenau and surrounding sectors. External Physiology The Shaisen are a bipedal species, alternately termed as insectoid or avianoid depending on the biases of the observer. Visually, they are short compared to many species, standing at 1.2 metres even fully erect, but this can be deceptive; with their wings extended, they have an average tip-to-tip wingspan of over 2.2 metres, and span almost two metres from head to tail. The physical structure of the Shaisen is that of a nominally-bipedal creature with six limbs, one pair upper, middle, and lower, four wings extending from a central trunk, again paired upper and lower, and a single long tail capable of flexible movement and used to balance during flight, though it is usually curved in a U up along the back over the wings while on the ground. The central body is segmented between the torso and head, the latter of which houses the primary neurocortex, and is comprised of an exoskeleton covered in keratinized cutaneous tissue that serves largely to provide sensory input and thermal control. The exoskeleton itself is formed of chitin in a proteinaceous matrix primarily comprised of keratin and sufficient calcium carbonate to provide a rigid, armoured shell. In the limbs and wings, the exoskeleton narrows significantly to become more analagous to a hollow endoskeletal structure rather than the exoskeleton of an insect, which also permits a thicker cutaneous layer to provide additional room for nerve bundles in the former, and blood vessels in the latter. The placement of the limbs is similar to that of homo sapiens sapiens ''along the torso, though with six limbs, it is closer to a hexagonal orientation, while the wings extend from the dorsal back in symmetric pairs located at near the upper and central back, equidistantly bracketing the centre of gravity. The upper and middle limbs end in hands with three manipulative digits (two aligned, one opposed) termed fingers despite the structural differences – each Shaisen finger averages 4-5 centimetres, with three articulated joints spaced evenly. The lower limb ends in similar manipulative digits, though these have two articulated joints rather than three, and the digits are also spaced more widely to provide a flat surface, permitting bipedal locomotion on the ground. The tip-to-root wingspan is typically as long as the Shaisen is tall when the wing is fully extended, while breadth of the wing shows wider variation between the extremes of what we have termed the alpine and coastal phenotypes. All four wings are functional and interior-hinged, capable of either folding almost flush with the back or extending outward for flight through a complex articulated base joint that links the endoskeletal wing bones to the body exoskeleton. Their wings are broad but translucent due to a lack of pigmentation, giving them a veiny look. Largely consisting of the same cutaneous, keratinized tissue that serves as a base for the feather-like growths that cover most of their body, the wings serve both in flight and thermal control. Shaisen possess two large superposition compound eyes mounted in their head capable of 270-degree viewing arc, which also have a flattened fovea for acute vision. They also possess a complex mouth with plate teeth suitable for their omnivorous diet, apparently developed from extruded growths of their exoskeleton. However, they lack a nose, tongue, or antennae, and by extension, any sense of olfaction. They make up for this in some part with a strongly defined sense of magnetoception. Shaisen have an additional organ in their torso that is capable of generating and detecting subtle magnetic fields in a limited range, in what has been referred to as an electro-magnetic analogue to pheromones. Like pheromones, the ability to generate these fields is subconscious, with field orientation and strength linked to the mental and emotional state of the individual, but their sense of magnetoception is far more developed, and compensates to a strong degree for their lack of smell. Finally, while the species as a whole has clearly delineated male and female genders, it does not exhibit a high degree of sexual dimorphism. Aside from the difference in primary sexual organs, there is very little outward difference between a male and female Shaisen, aside from subtle shaping of the wings and body. Unlike the lack of sexual dimorphism, there is a large degree of phenotypic variation among the Shaisen, especially considering the fact that their ability to fly has tended to negate most forms of geographic striation that affect planetary populations. Most tend to follow the native groupings, translated typically by region of origin. The alpine Shaisen (Cholsenyi, or ‘mountain skies’) tend to be short and lithe, even for Shaisen. Blonde or white-haired, their pale fur tends to stand out among their more darker-skinned kin, and they are frequently also referred to as Paisha for the heavy snowfalls of their homes on the lesser continent. They tend to fly frequently and for long ranges, and possess the widest wings of any Shaisen. They are the most common single ethnic group, but occupy not much more than a narrow plurality. Close behind them in numbers are the coastal Shaisen (Ogicheika, or ‘fish eaters’), which live on both continents. More brightly coloured (tending to reds and oranges, though dashes of blue are rare and exotic) and far taller than their alpine cousins, the coastal Shaisen have smaller wings and tend to spend the most time on the ground. Intermediate between the alpine and coastal phenotypes are the Midlands (Faisha, or ‘path people’). The Midlands here refer to a wide range of environments on the greater continent, from plains to rocky chasms and hills the equal of most mountains, but there is relatively little phenotypic variation. Rather, they are intermediate in almost every way. They tend to be stocky where the alpine are lithe, moderate of height where the coastal are tall, brown and grey where the alpine are pale and the coastal red to orange, but they have some of the keenest magnetic senses of any Shaisen due to the strong ferromagnetic deposits that line much of their lands. The last major ethnic group hails from the third continent, in truth a large series of island chains far distant from the two main continents. The islanders (Varmcheisha, most commonly read as ‘distant ghost folk’ with folktale implications) resemble the coastal folk of the main continents in stance and demeanour, but have broad wings similar to the alpine branches. In colouration, the main body tends to vary from brightly coloured (with higher rates of blue colouration) to darker near the back, with the wings frequently grey or dark. This dark colouration has led to persecution in the distant past, for none of the continental Shaisen possess such wings. Communication by the Shaisen is conducted primarily aurally. Though they lack a tongue such as humans possess, they possess a complex structure analogous to the larynx at the base of the throat that allows them to phonate. They supplement this with their wings, which they can vibrate at high speeds against their backs to generate a buzzing sound in the ultrasonic register, beyond the human auditory range. Other aliens that can hear in these higher ranges, however, frequently find extremely upset Shaisen difficult to remain around, as this buzzing can become quite strident, and few can tolerate their political gatherings. Internal Physiology The interior physiology of the species is frequently compared to insects or arachnids, though it is far more complex than any such simplistic comparison would permit. The circulatory system of the Shaisen is based on a hemerythrin compound that exhibits an unusually high degree of cooperative binding, rendering it almost as efficient as hemoglobin. The minor loss in efficiency is countered by a higher concentration – Shaisen blood contains almost twice as many erythrocytes when compared to humans. The Shaisen also possess two hearts, both of which are necessary to push the blood, and which are each nestled within a pair of lungs. The respiratory system is dominated by these two pairs of large lungs, separated by a diaphragm, that function through a complex network of parabronchi. Both pairs are fed by several thousand spiracles along the entire outer exoskeleton, capable of opening or closing automatically to avoid intake of water or pollutants. Due to the exoskeletal exterior, the chest is incapable of expanding or contracting with the lung structure, which has adapted through a system reminiscent of bellows – the expansion of six pairs of fluid sacs located each above the anterior lung pair or below the posterior pair forces air out, while their contraction sucks air in through the spiracles. The diaphragm, alluded to above, also aids in this by acting as a lever system – this flexible tissue dividing the two pairs of lungs is connected to the anterior and posterior sides by two powerful muscles, which contract in time with the bellows to increase the pressure differential. As these are anti-synchronized, one pair of lungs is always fully expanded while the other is fully contracted, ensuring a continuous flow of oxygen. Shaisen are capable of breathing both oxygen and ozone, though extended exposure to the latter can result in oxygen sickness as the carbon compounds that breaks the ozone down into usable oxygen and various waste gasses are not created in most Shaisen in adequate concentrations for more than ten hours of continuous exposure to ozone in doses greater than one part per three of diatomic oxygen. The genetic basis for the Shaisen has been termed XNA (xanthic nucleic acid). Officially, this was named due to the base structure of diaminopyrimidine-xanthine and cytosine-inosine. This particular XNA structure is also interesting in that it is a folded single-stranded structure particularly vulnerable to high levels of radiation, which makes it especially fortunate that Hansha is a world low in surface radioactive elements, with both a strong magnetic field and thick ozone layer to shield it from stellar rays. The Shaisen genetic code is also very complex, boasting 11 chromosomal triplets and a set of two or three sexual chromosomes, which have been identified as ZZW for female or ZZ for male (adopting the same identification schema used for Lepidoptera). Of particular note is the Shaisen nervous system. The Shaisen have a large neurocortex that controls most cognitive functions, but they lack a single, unitary brain stem or, indeed, any central nervous system beyond this. Rather, they have multiply redundant neural nodes or microcomplexes distributed throughout the body at points where “trunk lines” of the peripheral nervous system intersect, which appear to control most autonomous processes like respiration or blood circulation. This lends itself to an unusual resilience in certain respects – for instance, while a concussion is possible, it is rarely life-threatening, and it is impossible to “break their back” in any conventional sense. By contrast, there are several documented diseases that occur as a result of three or more of these microcomplexes desynchronizing simultaneously, either through another serious illness, genetic defect, radiation exposure, or simply old age. Most such cases are fatal without treatment. Still, barring major accident, disease, or war, the Shaisen are long-lived. The average age for death by natural causes is 84 local years, or almost 193 Terran Standard, while the oldest Shaisen presently on the record has survived for almost 230 Terran years. Society ''See also: History of the Shaisen Modern Shaisen society is based strongly on the reading of ‘sen’, or freedom. Traditional values in most Shaisen cultures have included the sense of what is today usually referred to as faisen cheng, in general acting through principles of liberty and flexible justice, with the sense that nothing is truly immutable. Historically, these traditional values declined during the Second Era of Nations and the Era of Coal, and the dictates of the Era of Revolutions all but destroyed them, but a cultural renaissance and pan-national sentiment during the Era of Collapse helped restore these, aided by the luminaries that spearheaded the restoration. The spread of these principles, instilled during an era when entire social systems had fallen to revolutions that held little goal beyond an end to interminable war, no doubt aided strongly in maintaining order and avoiding total ruin. The present governmental constitution, drafted in those days of restoration, enshrines both faisen cheng and yuli pasai, the latter a then-new Varmcheishan political philosophy usually translated as “consent of the governed.” Though revolutionary at the time, yuli pasai has grown to become a cornerstone of the Risenya government every bit as fundamental in the eyes of all Hansha as faisen cheng and sen. Shaisen families are not significant social institutions. Shaisen females lay eggs which are then fertilized by the male, with monogamous pairings rare. It is even rarer for male, female, or both to raise a clutch of eggs themselves. Most young are thus hatched and raised in crèche settings, which forms the first and most important community for their formative years of education. Shaisen do not possess a larval stage despite their insect-like appearance, but rather a nymph stage that appears largely fully-grown, though the wings are small and non-functional until their fourteenth and final moulting after nine Hansha years. Young are usually considered adults after their first successful flight, which means that education tends to be both fast-paced and difficult. It is conventionally accepted that any new adult will have completed a full education and be capable of behaving in a mature, rational fashion, which also tends to lead to strong pressures on the youth. Still, the Shaisen crèche tends to be a flexible institution, expanding and contracting as individuals within it move from or to other crèches or become adults. The expectation that an adult will be a productive member of society is tempered by the sense that youth should be permitted to explore and expand their horizons, with the tendency to tolerate or actively promote what would usually be considered counter-productive rebellious tendencies in order to force the youth to stand without support of their mentors. Due to the lack of sexual dimorphism and their oviparous natures, Shaisen societies are entirely free of gender discrimination, and have been for almost all of their recorded history. However, until the Era of Revolutions several hundred years ago, racial discrimination was an extremely strong force. The social pressures of the Era of Revolutions and Era of Collapse tended to break principles of discrimination among the Cholsenyi, Faisha, and Ogicheika, as the two empires used ideology to break the racist barriers and tap the entirety of their own populations for the war effort, but unofficial distrust and occasional persecution of the distant Varmcheisha was encouraged by both empires as something of a mutual enemy whose time would someday come. Most such sentiment faded away after the first century of planetary governance, and all Shaisen are generally considered equal in fact as well as in theory. There do still remain certain stereotypes of these racial groups, however, mostly treated as humour rather than serious depictions – the Ogicheika are greedy and combative, the Cholsenyi stubborn and supercilious, the Faisha manipulative and unreliable, the Varmcheisha aloof and distant. In general, even the most communally-minded Shaisen tend to be individualists by the reckoning of most social cultures. Most Shaisen civilian ships tend to be crewed by less than a dozen, even where economic concerns are not significant enough to force small crews, and boast high levels of automation supported by the strong Shaisen computer industry. Military warships do not tend to hold massive crews, either, though many do hold larger complements due to certain strategic necessities – the Shaisen Chuvaian includes anti-piracy as a significant role, and most ships set for independent duty tend to hold at least one trained strike force. Large amounts of automation, while significant, is considered a mild risk aboard vessels that expect to see military action, as is consolidation and centralization: Shaisen military design tends to emphasize decentralized light designs, with a generalized baseline class and several specializations branching off for specific roles as needed. Many Shaisen who ascend to the heavens tend to express a degree of wanderlust as well, and many planets in recent years have seen the small one-man vessels that the Shaisen use to explore these other nations among the stars. Language The dominant Shaisen language on the homeworld is Cheran, which was the language of the polity known as the First Empire. Almost all Shaisen languages use a single alphabet structure, derived two centuries ago from logographic radicals in ancient Cheran as a unified written language capable of describing the phonemes of the largest five language groups across the planet, and through the cultural and political unity imposed by the empries of the Era of Revolutions, those languages spoken by almost 94% of the present planetary population. While this alphabet, referred to as modern Cheran, is used most in day-to-day life, ancient Cheran and other local alphabets tend to appear frequently in works where multiple meanings and overtones are useful. The modern Cheran alphabet consists of 29 phonemes with consistent pronunciation, with an additional fifteen symbols for wing movements or lexical modifiers (such as plurals, possessives, or verb tense) that vary by pronunciation based on the word being modified or the language the alphabet is being used for, to name two factors. The Cheran language itself adopts an OVS sentence structure and is both highly inflectional and sibilant. Religion Religion is not a very powerful force among the Shaisen. In the Era of Revolutions that immediately preceded space travel, both major empires that warred over the planet attempted to suppress most religions as counterproductive to their doctrines of rule. Since the fall of both empires, the most prominent of the faiths to rise was Hanryashi. This faith is one of the oldest on the planet, and on the surface, is an animist belief system that professes the existence of spirits in all living things. Of significant note is that it incorporates monotheistic influences from several other local religions, including the concept of a planetary god. In the past, this was literally taken to mean the planet itself was the home of the divine essence that had created the Shaisen, but most modern believers treat this as a metaphor of varying significance. Hanryashi is also significant in that it was the state religion of the first planetary empire to emerge, which spread to encompass the populations of both major continents and a significant minority on the third at its peak. With its spread came the ancient Cheran language, a legacy that outlived both the religion’s political significance and the empire that promulgated it. Modern Hanryashi is very decentralized and endemic to particular localities. Unlike the faith as it stood with the first empire, it tends to be strongly local, with interaction between individual churches only occasionally. Atheism and agnosticism remain prominent in over 63% of the population, but roughly 24% of the populace professed this faith in the last census. The remaining 13% consist of several dozen other regional and local faiths. These numbers are skewed even further when the homeworld is excluded – very few colonists report any religious beliefs at all. Category:Race Category:Shaisen